CCW Loaded?

[ZigZagZeke]

I sometimes carry a Beretta 950 .25 auto. It can be put into a state where there is a round in the chamber and the exposed hammer is down. I'm wondering if anybody knows for sure whether that's a good idea. Is the hammer blocked such that if dropped it can't go off? The manual isn't clear on that.

http://www.ireference.ca/search/Beretta%20950 Jetfire/

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[FarmerTed1971]

Is that a decocker function.... or are you manually dropping the hammer softly?

 

[ZigZagZeke]

Is that a decocker function.... or are you manually dropping the hammer softly?

There's a release that causes the breech end of the barrel to pop up and you can load a cartridge into the chamber and re-close it with the hammer still down. Then to fire all you do is cock the hammer and squeeze the trigger.

 

[FarmerTed1971]

Can you just pull the trigger without cocking the hammer? I think you are safe either way unless you drop it on a hard surface on the hammer. Let somebody else with more experience chime in here before taking anything I say as gospel though.

 

[Gunner69]

It's single action only but from everything I can see they made some models with a Hammer Safety pin ( ie Block) and some without it. But I can't differatiate what the different model numbers were.

The easist way I can think to double check would be to unload the weapon, place a small dowel or other solid object down the barrel and see if when the hammer is pressed forward (trigger not actuated)that the dowel moves forward. If it does then you do not have a firing pin block.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

It's single action only but from everything I can see they made some models with a Hammer Safety pin ( ie Block) and some without it. But I can't differatiate what the different model numbers were.

The easist way I can think to double check would be to unload the weapon, place a small dowel or other solid object down the barrel and see if when the hammer is pressed forward (trigger not actuated)that the dowel moves forward. If it does then you do not have a firing pin block.

Sounds good, Gunner. I'll give that a try and see if I can tell for sure. If anybody absolutely knows though, I'd appreciate it if they would chime in.

 

[mjbskwim]

How old is the gun?
I believe all guns had to be equipped with a fire pin block about 20 years ago.
If it's a newer gun you should be good to go.

 

[spengo]

OP: I assume you have the old one without a manual safety or you'd be carrying cocked and locked, right? I'd just stick it at half cock and call it good.

How old is the gun?
I believe all guns had to be equipped with a fire pin block about 20 years ago.
If it's a newer gun you should be good to go.

Had to be? CZ-75 SP-01 Shadow does not have a firing pin block and that's a relatively new gun.

 

[mjbskwim]

I thought all guns had this
Sorry


I was under the ASSumption that was why Ruger changed their single actions to having one

 

[ZigZagZeke]

OP: I assume you have the old one without a manual safety or you'd be carrying cocked and locked, right? I'd just stick it at half cock and call it good.

Nope, this one was bought in 1989 and does have the safety. That's my problem. I really, really don't like carrying it with the hammer cocked and a round chambered, and depending on the slide safety.

BTW, in 20+ years this gun has been fired maybe 10 times. It's been in a safe in the original box most of those years. I only remembered I had it after I got my CHL this year.

 

[spengo]

Nope, this one was bought in 1989 and does have the safety. That's my problem. I really, really don't like carrying it with the hammer cocked and a round chambered, and depending on the slide safety.

BTW, in 20+ years this gun has been fired maybe 10 times. It's been in a safe in the original box most of those years. I only remembered I had it after I got my CHL this year.

Ok uh... FIRST thing, go shoot that gun. I don't even carry ammunition that I haven't shot at least 150-200rds of through the gun first to make sure it functions. Not all ammo works well in every gun. E.g. 147gr Remington Golden Saber gets stuck in CZ-75 magazines. If all I have tested is FMJ plinking ammo then that is what I would carry. I would not carry a gun I am not positive will work when I need it to.

Second thing, try carrying cocked and locked a few times. You'll get used to the idea real quick. I carry my sig p238 that way all the time. Wouldn't have it any other way with an SAO gun. Any decent gun is not going to just go off when it isn't supposed to. Except when people ND I guess, but that's hardly the fault of the gun, IT still did what it was supposed to do.

Actually... if I didn't trust the gun to reliably function exactly the way it is supposed to, I wouldn't carry it in the first place. If there is any reason to believe that it might discharge inadvertently, maybe you need a different carry pistol.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

This is a like new Beretta 950. I don't doubt it will function just fine as designed. I just have a personal problem relying only on a slide safety with any gun. It just goes against what I was taught since I learned to walk.

This isn't my only carry weapon. It's just the most convenient one. It carries nicely in the front pocket of my jeans or in an inside pocket in my coat. My other guns are a .32 Colt 1903 pocket model, and for when I'm really serious about things, a S&W .357 Mag model 66.

I'd really like to carry this little gun loaded with the hammer down, but I'm just leery of dropping it and having it go off that way.

 

[spengo]

Ok, well whatever floats your boat I guess. If it helps you any, I carried a pre-B CZ-75 hammer down (da/sa gun) for a long time. It does not have a firing pin block either. I did not do drop tests with it though.

I still highly recommend putting more ammunition through it before using it as a carry gun, .25 autos (all tiny guns really...) can be picky about ammo.

 

[Phillyfan]

Do they make snap caps for that caliber? Maybe you could get a new one, observe the backside of it, put it in the chamber, let the hammer down and press really hard on it and pop it back out and see if it made a mark? No expert, but if there is one I would not carry it in the fashion you propose, obviously there is no striker block. Totally out of my eliment, all of my guns are newer, but it was just a thought. Might contact the manufacturer.

 

[Phillyfan]

Ok, well whatever floats your boat I guess. If it helps you any, I carried a pre-B CZ-75 hammer down (da/sa gun) for a long time. It does not have a firing pin block either. I did not do drop tests with it though.

I still highly recommend putting more ammunition through it before using it as a carry gun, .25 autos (all tiny guns really...) can be picky about ammo.

+20 on that. Everyone who I have ever gone out shooting with who had a .25 caliber, even the higher end manufacturers, had failures.